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Sweet & Fortified Wines Flashcards

1
Q

Which region is the center of Sherry production?

A

Andalucía, Spain (in Jerez)

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2
Q

Name the 3 towns where Sherry must be matured

A

Jérez de la Frontera
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
El Puerto de Santa María

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3
Q

What’s Jerez’s climate and how does it affect wine?

A

Hot sunny mediterranean climate
Vineyards near the coast benefit from the cooling of the westerly humid wind “poniente”.
Vineyards can be damaged by the “levante” which blows from the east.

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4
Q

What’s the poniente?

A

It’s a cool humid westerly wind benefiting the vineyards in Jerez

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5
Q

What’s the levante?

A

It is a hot wind blowing from the east in Jerez, which can damage vineyards.

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6
Q

What soil is typical from Jerez?

A

Albariza, which has high chalk content and provides good drainage but also retention of water.

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7
Q

What are the main grapes involved in the production of Sherry?

A

Palomino
Pedro Ximenez (PX)
Muscat de Alexandria

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8
Q

Grape representing the majority of vineyards in Jerez

A

Palomino

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9
Q

Where is Pedro Ximenez (PX) grown?

A

Montilla-Moriles (grapes are brought to Jerez)

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10
Q

Name of the thin-skinned, ideal to be sun-dried grape used to produce Sherry?

A

Pedro Ximenez (PX)

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11
Q

Main grape used to produce dry white Sherry

A

Palomino

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12
Q

Type of ageing for Sherry that does not require the development of Flor

A

Oxidative ageing

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13
Q

Type of ageing for Sherry that requires the development of Flor

A

Biological ageing

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14
Q

Steps to produce dry Sherry wines

A
  1. Destem and crush
  2. Press
  3. Alcoholic Fermentation–> It happens in steel vats at 20-25C to produce neutral base wine with 11-12% ABV.
  4. Classification as either biological (typically those lighter/paler/finesse) or oxidative ageing (typically those darker/richer)
  5. Fortification (15-15.5% abv for biological and 17% abv for oxidative)
  6. Sobretabla
  7. Incorporation into the Solera system
  8. Flirtation and bottling
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15
Q

At what temperature does the alcoholic fermentation of Sherry happens?

A

20-25 C

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16
Q

% ABV in the neutral base wine in the process of making Sherry

A

11-12%

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17
Q

What’s biological ageing

A

A process to age Sherry which requires the presence of Flor

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18
Q

What’s the Flor?

A

It is a thick layer of yeast strains on the surface of Sherry wine, which feed off the alcohol, nutrients and oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and acetaldehyde, which is what gives biologically aged sherrys their unique flavor. The flor also protects the wine from oxidation.

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19
Q

At what % ABV the Flor dies?

A

15.5% ABV

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20
Q

What is sobretabla in the making of Sherry?

A

It refers to the fortified base wine that is sent aside for a few months before incorporating it in the solera system

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21
Q

Why is sobretabla important to biological aged Sherries?

A

Biological ageing requires the development of Flor. Winemakers need to constantly checked if Flor is well developed during sobretabla for it to pass on to the solera system.

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22
Q

What happens to the wine if Flor does not develop properly during sobretabla?

A

It is either rejected or re-fortified to 17% ABV and send to oxidative ageing.

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23
Q

Sobretabla is NOT that important for what kind of ageing in Sherry?

A

For oxidative ageing. This process does not require the development of Flor.

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24
Q

Sherry has to be aged in what kind of barrels?

A

600 liters butts

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25
What techniques do winemakers put in place to ensure the development of Flor?
Keep on incorporating young wine in the solera system to ensure Flor has enough nutrients Ensure Flor is exposed to oxygen (filling the butts only 5/6ths) Keeping a cool, humid environment in the bodegas
26
What's the solera system?
Sherry's maturation process. Wine flows from different levels according to their age (criaderas) so young wine get the character of older wine. As you extract older wine, you replenish the same volume with wine from a younger criadera and so on.
27
What are the benefits of the solera sytem?
Ensures consistency of the wine when producing Sherry
28
How many criaderas can a solera system have?
as many as 14
29
What's a criadera?
A series of butts organised in different levels according to their ages in the solera system for Sherry
30
What does Flor generates during biological ageing?
Carbon dioxide and acetaldehyde. | Acetaldehyde is what gives biological aged sherries their flavour
31
What kind of temperature does Flor favor?
Cool moderate temperature.
32
Describe the process to produce Sweet Sherry wines
1. Grapes picked and sun-dried. 2. Press 3. Alcoholic fermentation. Since yeast struggles fermenting all the concentrated sugar in these grapes, the alcohol content is quite low and once the fermentation stops, the wine needs to be fortified to 17% ABV 4. Wine is aged oxidatively 5. Wine incorporated into the solera system.
33
List the different Sherry styles
1. Fino / Manzanilla 2. Oloroso 3. Amontillado 4. Palo Cortado 5. Pedro Ximenez 6. Muscat 7. Pale Cream 8. Medium 9. Cream
34
List the types of Sherry that undergo biological ageing
1. Fino / Manzanilla 2. Amontillado (initially) 3. Medium (initially) 4. Pale Cream
35
Fino that can only be matured in Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda DO / manzanilla Fina
36
Ageing process for Fino / Manzanilla
Biological
37
Notes for Fino / Manzanilla
Characteristic Tangy / Salty Pale lemon Aromas of citrus fruit, almonds and herbs Bready notes (coming from Flor)
38
Does Fino improves with bottle ageing?
No - it needs to be consumed as fresh as possible
39
Ageing process for Oloroso
Oxidative
40
Notes of Oloroso
Brown in color, full bodied Toffee, leather, spice and walnut Very old olorosos are very concentrated
41
What's Amontillado?
A style of Sherry that undergoes both biological and oxidative ageing.
42
Notes of Amontillado
Amber/Brown | Combines yeast aromas with oxidative ones.
43
A rare Sherry that combines the characteristics of 2 other styles?
Palo Cortado
44
Palo Cortado is difficult to distinguish from these 2 styles
Amontillado and Oloroso.
45
Mention the natural sweetened and sweetened styles of Sherry
Naturally Sweet--> Pedro Ximenez and Muscat | Sweetened --> Pale Cream, Medium and Cream
46
Ageing process for Pedro Ximenez
Oxidative
47
Ageing process for Muscat
Oxidative
48
Ageing process for Pale Cream
Biological
49
Style of Sherry sweetened with RCGM
Pale Cream
50
Style of Sherry sweetened with PX
Medium and cream
51
Ageing process for Cream
Oxidative
52
Ageing process for Medium
Biological and oxidative
53
Notes of Pedro Ximenez
Deep brown, lusciously sweet (up to 500g/l) | aromas of dried fruit, coffee and liquorice.
54
Sherry similar to PX but with dried citrus peel character
Muscat
55
Which Sherries can qualify for age indication categories?
Amontillado Oloroso Palo Cortado PX
56
List the age categories for Sherry
1. VORS --> very old rare sherry - average blend at least 30 years (every butt tested) 2. VOS --> very old Sherry - average blend at least 20 years 3. 15 years 4. 12 years
57
Average ageing for VORS
30 years
58
Average ageing for VOS
20 years
59
What are the 3 main methods of fortification
1. Adding spirit while sugars remain (e.g. Port) 2. Adding spirit after fermentation has concluded (e.g. Sherry). 3. Grape fortified before fermentation (producing mistelle)
60
What's beneficio authorization?
Maximum amount of port that can be fortified according to a matrix of 12 factors
61
Authority that enforces the Porto designation?
Instituto dos Vinhos do Duoro e Porto (IVDP)
62
What's the law of the third?
IVDP requires Port houses to sell max 1/3 of their inventory every year.
63
Main grapes for red Porto?
* Touriga Nacional * Touriga Franca * Tinta Roriz * Tinta Barroca * Tinta Caoki * Tinta Amarela * Tinta Francisca * Bastardo * Mourisco Tinto
64
Main grapes for white Porto?
* Gouveio * Malvasia Fina * Viosinho * Rabigato * Esgana Cao * Folgasao
65
What fortified wine is made with Tinta Roriz?
Porto
66
What fortified wine is made with Malvasia Fina and Gouveio?
Porto
67
What's a socalco?
Narrow terraces on slopes where no mechanization is possible in the production of Port
68
In which country can you find Patamares?
Portugal
69
What are Patamares?
Wider terraces where a tractor can fit in the production of Port. As opposed to socalcos, which are too narrow and only manual harvest is possible
70
Where is Port traditionally matured?
Vila Nova de Gaia
71
Two main cities for the production of Port
Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia
72
Name of the three main subregions for the production of Porto
* Baixo Corgo (lightest wines)--> the coolest/wettest * Cima Corgo (top vineyards) * Douro Superior
73
Describe the climate in the regions producing Porto
Warm continental, shielded from cooling Atlantic winds by the Serra do Marao. Climate is not uniform. They deal with spring frost and downpours.
74
Name of the mountains shielding the vineyards in Porto
Serra do Marao
75
Type of soil in Porto
Schist Bedrock (fractures vertically) -- allows access to water.
76
Name of the spirit used to fortify Porto and max % abv permitted
Aguardente - 77% abv
77
Describe the process to produce Porto
Fermentation is stopped by fortification when abv reaches 5-9% Fermentation lasts 24-36 hours so extraction is low and requires other techniques. Once fortification kills the yeast, the stable sweet wine reaches 19-22% abv. Maturation usually happens in Vila Nova de Gaia due to its cooler coastal climate
78
Name the different extraction techniques for the production of Port
1. Foot treading --> foot pressing in lagares 2. Autovinifers --> crushed grapes in sealed vats, CO2 pushes juice, then pour over the cap again and again. 3. Piston plungers and robotics --> mimic foot treading.
79
What are lagares?
Granite troughs where grapes are crushed for the production of Port
80
% of spirit in a bottle of Port
20%
81
Where is tawny Port matured?
In the Duoro (as it needs more warmth)
82
List the types of Port
1. Ruby 2. Tawny 3. Ruby reserva 4. Tawny reserva 5. Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) 6. Tawny with indication of age 7. Vintage
83
How long does Tawny Reserva Port needs to be aged for?
6 years in wood
84
How long LBV Porto needs to be aged for?
4-6 years
85
Does Tawny Port age well in bottle?
No. It needs to be consumed as soon as it is released.
86
Does LBV Porto benefit from bottle ageing?
No. It needs to be consumed as soon as it is released
87
Different indications of age for Tawny
10,20,30,40 (average age)
88
Type of Port that can age for decades
Vintage Port
89
How often is vintage port produced?
Around 3 times per decade. It needs to be declared
90
Notes of tawny port
Similar to ruby, but brown color
91
Finest type of Port wine
Vintage (flagship wines for winemakers)
92
Notes of fortified Muscats
Low medium acidity, orange blossom, rose and grape
93
Example of a young fortified Muscat
Muscat-de-Beaumes-de-Venis
94
Example of aged fortified Muscat
Rutherglen from Australia
95
Country where Rutherglen Muscat comes from
Australia
96
Which is sweeter, a Rutherglen Muscat or a Muscat-de-Beaumes-de-Venis?
Rutherglen--> luscious
97
Notes of Muscat-de-Beaumes-de-Venis
medium gold, floral, aromatic. Keeps fruit character
98
At what % abv does fermentation of a Rutherglen is stopped by fortification?
2% abv
99
What is the primary grape used in the production of Sherry?
Palomino
100
Which of these styles of Port shows more oxidative notes? Tawny or Ruby
Tawny
101
In the 18th century, ________ was the most popular style of wine in the American colonies.
Madeira
102
Manzanilla Sherry can only be produced and matured in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
True
103
What type of aging does Amontillado Sherry undergo?
Both biological and oxidative aging
104
Exposure to ________ during the aging process distinguishes Madeira from all other fortified wines.
Heat
105
Which of the following styles typically represents the smallest amount of production in a Sherry bodega? Fino, Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso
Palo Cortado
106
Mitad y mitad is a wine and spirit mixture used to fortify which wines?
Sherry
107
Sherry, Port, Madeira, and Marsala must be fortified with grape-based neutral spirit.
True
108
What is en rama?
Sherry that is unfiltered and unfined
109
A 20 Year Tawny Port has to actually be at least 20 years old.
False. These are average ages
110
What portion of a Sherry butt is usually filled with wine to allow for the growth of flor?
5/6
111
There are no fortified DOCG wines.
True
112
Which grape is known as Moscatel in Sherry country?
Muscat de Alexandria
113
What is the term for the Portuguese spirit commonly used for fortification?
Aguardente
114
What is the minimum average age of wines in a VORS solera?
30 years

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